Highly Commended Story - Desire Is Different From Wish

“Desire Is Different From Wish” by Nandini Bhattacharya, Aravali International School, India, is the Highly Commended story in the senior category of the second biannual Short Story Contest 2020.

Desire Is Different From Wish

The last ray of sunlight penetrated through the ajar window. A small figure sat at the corner of the room surrounded by a cloud of misery as he had been grounded by his mother for a whole week but he didn’t commit a grave mistake. His home was completely isolated from the city and henceforth wandering in the woods, gazing at the mesmerizing and picturesque scenes would be his only hobby. His favourite spot was at the rooftop as he always pondered about the blue expanse of the crystal blue water down the lake Genovia while sitting on the rooftop, also the cool breeze that skimmed through the lake gently touched the tiled ebony rooftop filled him with bliss. The air of melancholy which surrounded him previously would be swayed away by the gentle breeze. He himself was perplexed by this fact that how the nature soothed him.

This young boy aspired to be an artist. He studied in the local school as his mother knew the significance of education in life but she was against his dream of becoming an artist. His mother was thought that the profession of artist cannot aid a person to meet his daily expenses in the today’s world. But as each day passed his dream became more passionate.

Due to the prevailing circumstances even buying some new colours would be a luxury and as the time passes this wish grew into a desire but he didn’t know how to convince his mother as his mother was his whole world after his father died in an accident when he was only a toddler. He didn’t want his mother to worry as he knew about the sacrifices and hard work his mother did in order to survive.

Few days passed but he was determined to be an artist. The young boy had a drawing file and some colours in a shabby state though it could be used for colouring purpose. He wandered in those mystic hills covered with dense foliage to gather inspiration as from the very beginning nature had been both his mentor as well as guide. Then he stopped at a picturesque spot and perched at those lush green grass at the bottom but after a few seconds he fall asleep but in his dreamtopia he was creating a master piece of art that shook down the whole world. After some time he woke up and went back. The following day he read about a competition that was being held in the town. He got the perfect opportunity to fulfil his desire but he was in a dilemma as for the competition he needed acrylic paints and some brushes but he didn’t had enough money for the same. He didn’t have the courage to ask his mother for money as he knew her prejudice against art. In the evening when his mother returned from work, he saw that his mother had a few bundles of notes and that money would be enough for him to buy those material.

The next morning before his mom woke up he quietly took the money and headed towards the town. Then he took the bus and gazed at the scenery that passed by. Then he headed towards his final destination, the place where the competition was being held.

At the same time his mother woke up and was tensed as she could not find neither her son nor the money and on the other hand the participants were flabbergasted to see such a young child. The competition began and at first he was quite nervous but he calmed down after a few seconds he drew the place that he saw in his dream. He was focused at his own work that he lost the track of time but submitted his work just a couple of seconds before.

When he went back home he was petrified at the look of his mother as she was boiling with anger. His lips quivered but voice didn’t came out but somehow he managed to muster up the courage and told his mother the truth and in the end he received the penalizement of being grounded. His mother shouted at him and slapped him for wasting money for buying those useless things.

After a week, there was a call for the child and as soon as his mother picked up the phone and listened her eyes widened in awe and that left phone call left his mother speechless.

It was from the competition saying that the young lad won the first prize worth of $300.His mother realized that she was wrong and apologised and from then on she was no longer biased about being an artist and supported him in his every step.